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 A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: What are some of your favorite Christmas gifts from years best? Write about this in your Blog entry today. -------- Gift wrap, lists, and consumer culture... Yet, aren't we forgetting what Christmas is all about? For me, therefore, from years past, the most meaningful presents did not occupy space in a gift box. It was when people gave me of themselves, things that were (and still are) intangibles such as fun and happy moments, emotions, and gestures that lingered in my heart and memory long after the tree was taken down. Some of those memories have to do with the presence of loved ones over the perfection of anything I can hold in my hands. Those moments are like the heirlooms that stay in memory longer. They mostly have to do with a shared time with a loved one; for example, one of my uncles talking to me at length about poetry on a Christmas Eve, or my grandmother's hug when a spoiled daughter of a neighbor made fun of my outfit, or the person cooking some dish in the kitchen and giving me the first taste of it and asking me if that dish would do for the evening meal before Santa comes. Such gifts still whisper to me that I've mattered. This is because material gifts are static, while experiences are dynamic and are rarely forgotten. They are not broken and discarded or being re-gifted to some unsuspecting soul. On the other hand, non-physical gifts and the smallest thoughtful actions carry the most weight for they have the magic of being memorable and touching. As such, thoughtful gestures such as a handwritten letter, acts of service, maybe an offer to help another person in need, to volunteer together for a shared cause, or starting someone in an art that person might be interested in always offer the gift of growth. They are investments in a person's happiness and future. Better yet, non-physical gifts require no tags, no wrapping, no retail therapy. Plus, they help both the giver and the receiver for they are the most personal and the most likely to be appreciated. After all, the best gifts leave their echoes for a long time after the holidays. Maybe because they don't fill a space. They fill a person's heart. |
| Prompt: “And (I) wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth,” says Emily Brontë in Wuthering Heights, What do you think Bronte meant? Does the quote imply something different to you than its obvious meaning? ---------------------------- I have to mull over the meaning of the quote, but I recall it was uttered by the narrator of the novel, after many years since the story took place. Maybe the narrator was really talking about his own sense of final peace after the stormy lives of Catherine, Heathcliff, and others, whose names now escape me. When I first read this novel in my teens, for some weird psychological reason, I fell for Heathcliff.  Luckily for me, years later, when I married, my husband was as easy-going and well-adjusted as he could be.As to the meaning of the quote, at first glance, it may refer to the peace in death, after the novel's wild emotional drama. I wonder if there was really peace in there, under the soil, since the villagers saw the ghosts of the story's characters. Yet, Heathcliff and Catherine were buried next to each other, and they are finally united after all that drama. So what about their ghosts? Were they imaginary? Were they restless? All the same, Catherine and Heathcliff's bond was always unbroken since their childhood. It is tempting for me to think that, in this state, they might finally experience the peace and happiness that they missed in life. This could be because, in their new realm, they don't have to deal with family obligations and society's expectations. So they might roam the moors in spirit, discovering the happiness and freedom that was the real basis for their relationship. Then, what about the question of whether peace awaits us all, after death? Can peace and love, in all their forms, transcend even the boundaries of mortality? I certainly hope so. For that reason, I ask, why should peace and love belong to the afterlife only? After all, we can find it in the present, right here on earth, in the beauty and simplicity of our human connections. |
| Prompt: “A bare tree stands with roots on both ends in December days.” Kiran Bantawa What does it mean to have "roots at both ends" to you? ------------- Weird quote, but that is why I chose it. It is because what I don't understand fully, sometimes, opens up to me while I am writing about it. Now, what about the quote? Literally, roots anchor trees to the ground, and also feed them. So the quote may mean that the tree is grounded not only in the soil but also in the air, in other words the earth and the atmosphere. Yet, there may exist a metaphor, in there somewhere. Could it be our dual nature? Maybe it is our past and heritage against the experience of the present time. It may also mean that our roots reach toward the future, the sky. As they say, "The sky's the limit," meaning dreaming for growth, change, and exploring. Then, roots at both ends may mean our lives are not linear. Although here on earth, we see time as being linear, there are some serious scientific and spiritual findings that time is not the way we understand it, and it is not linear. At the same time, the fact that the tree is bare in December adds to the quote's meaning. December is the last month of the year; therefore, it represents an ending, and possibly our vulnerability and exposure to sadness, however with the hope of renewal. After all, our lives are full of paradoxes and complexities, and we stand at the intersection of multiple meanings and dualities. Just like a bare tree stands tall with roots at both ends. This is all I can think of, at the moment about this quote. |
| Prompt: Rest “It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.” Sarah Kay What are your favorite ways to recharge and rest during the winter or this holiday season? ---------- I think, here in Florida, winter or the holidays are much different than in most other parts of the country. Still, I can recall what it was like in the Northeast, from way back when. It used to be a whirlwind of sorts with parties, gatherings, gift shopping, despite the cold weather and sometimes, snow and ice. At the same time, this had made trying to live my regular everyday life almost impossible, even though I enjoyed the season very much. On the other hand, as far as the frayed nerves go, it isn't much different, here, in the south. The only addition is that we have the lovely half-year residents and visitors escaping from the cold and the ice. This is wonderful in most senses, except the roads become so crowded and the driving so difficult, but it also makes us, the driving elderly group, very careful. On the plus side, since the scorching hot summer sun has mellowed, we have regained our outdoor fun. For example, I can go and relax outside the house, mostly on a comfy outdoor armchair inside the porch, and read, write, tend my plants, or do whatever I wish to do. Since I've grown old, I've set boundaries to my most "should"s, which helps me greatly. No more attending anything if I'm not in the mood or trying to overachieve anything, including housekeeping. Well, maybe just a tad, but that's it. I guess most of what is winter or the holiday season has become not a hustle but an easy time of slowing down for me. After all, there is joy in resting, too, no matter how many bells are jingling. |
| Prompt: Do you make cookies, candy, breads for family and friends during the holidays? If so, what's your favorite to make? If you don't make treats, what's your favorite to receive? ------- I do make treats for the holidays but not to give them as gifts. I offer them to those who come to visit and if they comment or like the treat, they get some of that treat to take home with them. As to the second question, my favorite treats depend on my time and what I have purchased. A few of them are pumpkin-based and others are old-world treats. Then, when it comes to receiving gifts, I don't really have a strict idea, but I appreciate the most something done especially for me, like a poem written for me or a painting or drawing made by the gift-giver. As such, one of the favorite gifts I received was a potholder and a kitchen towel with my name embroidered on them. The beauty of such a gift is in its intimacy and alchemy of surprise. They turn the mundane into the extraordinary, implying that even the smallest details of my life are worth noticing and encouraging. In today's world driven by haste, a thoughtful gift is an act of rebellion. It refuses to settle for showing off but offers intention. It reminds me that the most precious things are not things at all, but moments of understanding, wrapped in tender hope that it might bring a smile to my face. Also, as much as I appreciate all gifts, I feel a little sad when a gift-giver with small means has gone out of his or her way to give me something expensive. I think a gift is a mirror of sorts. It reflects who the gift-giver is as well as how the gift-giver sees the me, the receiver. For that reason alone, the most appreciated gifts show thoughtfulness, not grandeur or riches. And today, just a few minutes ago, a surprise for me! Funny the coincidence, but while writing this entry, I received a lovely package from a friend far away. I stopped writing to unwrap the package. Inside it, is a large pink spiral notebook, a small black spiral notebook, and a set of retractable ball-point pens. This is probably after I told her on the phone I preferred writing long-hand. There is also a note, attached to the notebook with the pink cover that says, "No wonder! Writing long-hand is for the brainy people!" Now, I'm tickled pink all the way to high heaven, in all my idiosyncratic, ordinary complexity! |
| “Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer.... Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? ” ― Bill Watterson, Let's talk about product consumption. Are you more likely to buy something based on the advertising seen during the holiday season? ------------ This quote made me laugh. I can't imagine me buying anything after seeing an ad, at any time, let alone during the holiday season. Yet, most people do. For some, this is due to a lack of time and finances, and for others, because, unfortunately they are gullible. Since this is what sellers and manufacturers do, let's first imagine a perfect holiday image, an image that will encourage sales. Mostly, it is an ideal family gathered around perfect meals or exchanging beautifully wrapped gifts, and this is implied to solve every problem under the sun. Even if not said out loud or written openly, the message is, "This purchase will make you complete." or "You will be so loved after giving this gift." Well, if it were to be so, why do stores accept that exchange of gifts after the holiday season? If you go to any store after the holidays, the exchange line is immense. Something to think about, isn't it? Sellers and retailers know the season is emotional and people also get emotional because they are probably being with family members they haven't seen in a year, etc. So they encourage overspending under the guise of saving. Then, afterwards, after the holiday glitter fades, guess who will be sweating over stretched budgets and cluttered homes. Not to mention that something didn't live up to its promise. Yet, most of us still fall for the exaggeration and promised hopes. I'd think anyone with a good head on their shoulders would choose what is real. After all, those false sparkles shouldn't belong under the Christmas tree. If only because the magic of the holidays has nothing to do with material things and false promises. |
| Prompt: What does success mean to you besides money or status? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ---------- Money and status are the loud definitions of success. Anything too loud may not last. Plus, it takes over and drowns all other beautiful sounds. In my case, I like things that last. You don't believe me? Just check out my wardrobe. I have clothes from way back when. Some of those have stayed with me for their memories alone. Memories of ordinary moments. The smiles on my sons' faces. My late husband's green eyes sparkling when he looked at me. The sound of a baby's laughter. Cats meowing. Sunsets, a warm cup of tea, and the company of people I love, living with my own true values and not someone else's. Success especially means that in my life, at times quietly, I stood up for myself, even when it was hard. To me, success also means growth in compassion, wisdom, courage, and progress each day. It means not going after glory or money but trying to do meaningful work, even if my contribution has been very tiny. Above all, success is loving and being loved. I have been quite lucky in this area since my connections have always been genuine and, as their result, I felt blessed for feeling at ease with myself. Yes, I might have goofed here and there, but I feel some peace of mind as to my own behavior in general. What I mean is, success -at the end- can't be seen from the outside and can't be measured by a fattened-up resume. Real success is much deeper and much more meaningful. |
| Prompt: "Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope." Jane Austen Write about this in your Blog entry today. ---------- What an invitation! Well, if patience is required many of us, starting with yours truly, it would flunk. Yet, happiness or joy is not something distant, mysterious, or waiting in the hands of others. It's always within us. In my case, I'm quite okay until I have to see a doctor. That is when my blood pressure jacks up. Then, it is a spiral, and I'm always told, "Well, your everything checks out well, but why this bp number?" This was so, again, today. I told the doctor that his nurse hurried me down a long corridor and as soon as I sat down, without letting me catch my breath, took my blood pressure. Of course, it was dangerously high. So I told the doctor what happened. He took my blood pressure again and this time it was much lower, although not the low, normal number I get at home. So he added another bp med to my treasury of pills. It isn't my fault if the medical profession doesn't agree with the idea that peace, clarity, and fulfillment doesn't arrive by hurrying people. My body, like life, moves at its own pace. Also, the quote says, “Or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.” Hope has to have patience. Hope means waiting, possibly in stillness. Hope and patience together keep us grounded and glowing. I don't know how this quote relates to my today's medical adventure, but I still have trust in my doctors and I can still understand why and how the nurses are pushed to their limits. As they say, "All in good faith!" |
| Prompt: “Don’t worry, I’m a doctor. ... Besides, whatever I do to you is okay because I’m a doctor. Trust me. Now, on a scale of one to ten, how painful would you say this is?” Jasun Ether, The Beasts of Success What do you think about doctors? How right are they with treatments and do you think that they may believe they are infallible? ------ Before I write anything, let me say that my grandfather, in whose house I mostly grew up, was a doctor. So was my late husband. I knew their friends and I've noticed how some of those doctors believed in what they were doing and how one of them still cried in big tears over a patient he lost because he had given him a shot not knowing about his allergies and the man died right there in his office, immediately. Now that I'm old and have to see my doctors periodically, without first consulting with my husband anymore, I can look at them from the patients' points of view as well. A patient wants or maybe even needs his doctor to say, "I know what's ailing you, and I know how to fix it." No such thing exists! This is because medicine is an art as well as a science. The weight of responsibility on the doctors is huge. That responsibility can even make them think and say: " I am a doctor. Doctors save lives. Therefore, I must be right and you'd better obey me." While this may be well-intentioned, it also shows a dangerous sense of being godlike. Moreover, society has elevated the doctors to a higher level by trusting them and accepting their word as being absolutely correct. Also, as patients, when we are sick and vulnerable, we crave confidence. Confidence by our doctors, however, can only be a performance. This is because medical training rewards decisiveness over humility. Then, there's that emotional burden. Imagine telling a patient, "I thought this was a routine case, but I was wrong. You have only a few months of life left.” Here, the relationship is not professional anymore. It has become personal. So, now the good news. Medicine has begun to confront itself with peer-review, evidence-based practice, and some disciplinary action within the medical societies. Some doctors, nowadays, even encourage transparency among them. That infallible doctor myth, therefore, is being thrown out the door. And I surely believe that their greatest strength is in their courage to say to a patient, "I was wrong. So let's figure this out together." In fact, doctors are brilliant, most of them dedicated, and some of them have spent at least a couple of decades, if not more, on their education and learning about emergencies and such. They may as well be our modern oracles, but only depending on how far the medical knowledge has evolved and depending on how much they really know about themselves. |
| Prompt: “I have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. The one thing I never learn is to stop making them.” Joe Abercrombie What do you think about mistakes? Can they be useful, sometimes? ------------ I remember, way back when in dinosaur time, those red-penned notes on my exam papers when I was in school, and also, my piano teacher's knocking on my hands (gently) with a ruler. I looked at such things, then, as stains on who I was or as if a ghost or a goblin was out to devour me. Still, I attempted to work on my each mistake, as if it showed me as a total failure. To this day, I don't know if I ever exorcised such ghosts and memories from my psyche. Yet, what if a mistake isn't an absence of perfection, but a presence of something else? What if it is the raw material for a better and stronger self? Or a reworked something that could turn out to be a masterpiece? A mistake can lead to a confession. Something like, "I did not know everything. My work was incomplete." It is painful, yes. But what if it leads to a more careful, deliberate repair? What if it leads to a vow to myself to fix the flaw and to do better? Maybe, any well-traveled, safe path has no mistakes. But what if it is also the path of no discovery? Progress in anything can be messy, chaotic, and full of dead ends and accidents. But possibly, such a work can turn into a success. Just read about how the medical discoveries were made. In any case, a mistake says, "Look, here's something you don't understand." So I, instead of hiding the mistake, can use it as if it is an innovation, or if the mistake was in human relationships, I can try not to repeat it. I may fumble an apology or two, while feeling the sting, but deep down, I always know I am human and I share a language of imperfection with other humans. The true beauty of life is not in its perfection but in my courage to mend the pieces. As such, more than anything, my own mistakes should give me the capacity for empathy. After all, who in this world leads an unblemished life! |
| Prompt: “Hope is a waking dream.” Aristotle In what ways is hope related to dreaming? Is there a down side in dreaming too much? ----- To put it in a nutshell, both hopes and dreams are great as long as they are put into action. Otherwise, they end up looking like fake flowers. But what is the relationship between hope and dreaming? Are they relatives? Or are they twin stars born from the same cosmic dust? Or, maybe, they are distant cousins, one offering possibility and the other fantasy. Dreaming, the way I see it, is the theater we go to every night while we sleep. It can be surreal with stories spun from our memories, desires, and wishes, or our unrecognized deepest fears. There is also that daytime dreaming. Personally, I try to avoid that, if my stubborn mind wouldn't get in my way. Giving in too much to daytime dreaming isn't healthy, for this is where many daytime dreams can become snares. For example, if one hasn't touched a brush, how can that person dream of being a successful painter? This kind of dreaming is escape. It is a wish dressed in fantasy. Then, usually, hope comes in to save the day. Hope doesn't need or demand proof. This is because true hope isn't passive. Hope enters after some work or something solid is already there and accomplished. Hope, therefore, forms a bridge between vision and reality. Accordingly, there is some connection between hope and dreaming. also. Dreaming without hope is aimless. Hope without dreaming lacks imagination. Yet, if they could work together, they could become the first steps toward success. And for us writers, dreams without action are poems and novels untold. On the other hand, hope, after putting down a few ideas or maybe an outline, is the way to the first line of a story to be written. |
| Prompt: "Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind" and "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they are felt with the heart". The quote "Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind" was written by American educator and author Mary Ellen Chase, while the second part, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they are felt with the heart," is famously by Helen Keller. These are two separate, beloved quotes often shared around the holidays. Do you feel Christmas is a state of mind or has it fallen prey to commercialism? What do you think is the most beautiful thing in the world that can't be seen or touched? ----------- Just about everything has fallen to commercialism, Christmas among them. Yes, most holidays and relationships are a state of mind, in the first place. To me, there isn't any one most beautiful thing that can't be seen or touched, but many. They hide behind our five senses and are more profound, enduring, and vital to us. To begin with, there is love. It has no form, no hue, no texture. Yet, it can reshape worlds and people. It is what attaches parent to child, friend to friend, humanity to itself. It's the unsaid, silent understanding. It could be the gentle forgiveness. It could be a fierce protection of a loved one. Then, there is joy, (Not me! ) as a burst of pure happiness, sometimes the result of love. It has a lightness of spirit that dances through us, with warmth, as if a soundless laughter. In addition, what about hope and other virtues? Hope whispers and heals us with a strong belief in a better tomorrow or with the words, "This, too, shall pass!" Its beauty isn't in what hope is but what hope does. Also, there is kindness that shows up arm in arm with charity, creating much good in our lives. Then comes my favorite, which I--at times--lack, courage. Courage is not a shield or weapon, but the strength to face fear, speak the truth, and defend what is right. Furthermore, there is that quiet sanctuary within us, the true peace. Not as an absence of conflict but, speaking for myself, an inner hush when my mind and spirit can get along well, and give me a quiet refuge inside. I can almost argue that these unseen and untouchable beauties are more real than what we experience everyday through our sight and hearing. This is because we can only be aware of them through our souls, not our five senses. When we can do that, we may find that they are more real and fundamental. If only we could look and feel, not only with our five senses, but also with our hearts and souls! |
| Prompt: "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one." Brad Paisley Bloggers, did you realize that blogging every day is like writing a book. Would you consider publishing your blogs? ----------- Blogging may be like writing a book; however, I write in my blog to keep on writing. Publishing the blog? Nope. This is fun for me because it is what I like to do. Publishing is work. I was published enough through the academia even before I registered in WdC almost 25 years ago. After that, I had things published here and there, for a while. That has been enough for me. I won't even attempt it, anymore. As to the nice quote, it is a motivation and even a bit more than that. It elevates our old mistakes over opportunity, with optimism. The blank page is the clean slate, and similarly, I can reset my life, too, if only by touching the keys on my laptop. So, goodbye, all the accumulated garbage inside my mind or life! On the other hand, the blank page can be intimidating as it offers the pressure of infinite possibilities. Also, as writers, we are tempted, sometimes, to wait for a perfect sentence or a flawless opening thought. In my case, especially when writing into the blog, I just write as it comes and put everything down first, and then I go back and fix stuff, mostly repeated words too close together, which seems to be my Achilles' heel. Related to what I just wrote, the quote itself might be reminding us that the eventual content counts. In other words, it is not perfection but action, aiding the result. In addition, the 365-page-book shows the results of our consistency. As such, no great novel is lauded for only its one chapter. Then, "write a good one" is a call to action. This made me think. What is a "good one"? A good one, the way I see it, has to do with a truthful voice, deep character development, and a strong conflict. Similar to this, a "good" meaningful life is marked by lessons learned, resilience of character, struggles, and the courage to go after what is authentic but also challenging. It means writing and living with intention and focusing on character, not only for the people in a book but also in life. I so hope we are all successful in writing and living those "good ones." |
| Prompt: What three things would you like to be remembered for? Write about these in in your Blog entry today. -------- This question made me think. It is a perfectly fine question itself, but I like to look at things from as many angles as I can. To think of three such things, in essence, would do away with my simplicity.  After all, people usually remember the dead for what they were not...most of the time. To me, this, wanting to be remembered for something or other, felt like seeking approval. Even if I thought about this quietly to myself, it would hurt me, it would hurt who I am. So, in answer to the question, I don't really care whether anyone remembers me or not, especially posthumously. I won't be here, luckily, to hate or enjoy it. I, therefore, can't even think of any one thing, let alone three of them. In the same vein, not that disapproval sits well with me, but I don't do anything for approval. I do what I think is best, truthful, and helpful to me and others. On the other hand, seeking approval is a very human impulse. It gives people the feeling of being valued and accepted. But it usually belongs with our very young ages, as people are growing up, and not after they've matured. Then, when the wish for approval becomes a driving force, it may be quite harmful, not only to me, the individual, but to the public, as well. This is because such a pressure stifles being authentic and really creative. It would also pressure me to fit into a mold, and the real parts of me would become hidden away. In addition, it would make me anxious with overthinking. "Will they really like me behind my back, even in remembrance? Should I have done things and acted differently?" The irony is that the more I'd chase approval, even for after I'm gone, the less grounded and confident I would feel. As the result, wishing to be remembered well for something or other would make a person hold back from who she is. To me, real growth means having the courage to disappoint people, sometimes, and living with its results. |
| Prompt: "I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I reread passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me. These small actions help remind me that there are many, great glorious pieces of good in the world." Dolly Parton Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. ------------ I think we have some kind of a mental interconnectedness in this forum. Now, just two days ago, I started a small physical notebook "my tiny joys" to note just what this prompt is saying. I'll try to add its image at the end. This new notebook is in addition to my gratefulness notebook, which I write in every night, and I have kept gratefulness notebooks for several years. This new "My Tiny Joys" notebook is in addition to that, and I can write in it anytime I want to, jotting down a tiny happiness. I already have several pages now, about all sorts of things, and surely I also wrote of my appreciation of WdC and WdC friends in it.  Usually, the entries in this notebook are only one or two sentences. I wonder if I'll ever write longer ones. Here are two short quotes from it: "When the warm water touches my hands while washing dishes, I feel it is singing a healing song to my fingers." *"Al's visit today, the cute way he fixed and organized my cellphone's icons while he talked to me at the same time, in his usual soft, sweet way." * Al is my younger son. As for other little things, I love to watch the short videos on YouTube that are about babies and cats, maybe because I still miss my cat who died last year or maybe because I love both babies and cats. As such, happiness is in moments, small and ordinary ones. Those moments remind me that I am still present in this life so I can notice the sweetness hidden in ordinary, routine moments. Such small comforts are gifts I can be grateful for, without fanfare, as if putting pebbles in my pockets at the seaside, when I was a kid. Maybe, that is what life is. It's a whole made from many brief, shimmering moments and not the milestones I used to go after or anticipate. When I honor such moments, my contentment steadies and I see that happiness and joy is not rare, after all. It is simply small and is in everything and everywhere.  |
| Prompt: “Time goes on crutches till love have all his rites.” William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing What do you think this quote means and does its meaning have something to do with your life? ------ Good old bard! Leave it to him to stun and entertain us. I guess, he means, in a nutshell, time lingers when love is unresolved and when it is fully complete, it marches on, again. Is time really slow, halting, and unsteady? I don't think so. I think, with or without love, time flies. At any rate, the quote is saying that nothing moves freely when love is unfinished. This is when days feel longer and every hour is heavy with waiting. Plus, love is portrayed here as a kind of sacred ceremony, since it needs attention and sincerity to be complete. Until its rites are taken care of, feelings confessed, wounds healed, and understanding and union is reached, life and love make little sense. So, when and if love has been complete, then time regains its pace. Then it moves with purpose, easily, with its natural rhythm. After I tried to explain what Shakespeare possibly had meant, I thought, "What a pain love is! It even messes up with time. Just maybe." Though now, I think, possibly I was very lucky. If love messed with time, I never noticed it. It's also possible that I am not a romantic. |
| Prompt: “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” James M. Barrie Happy December! What does "roses in December" bring to your mind? ----------- This quote makes me think of my memories. Aren't memories the gardeners of souls? And if so, they'd give us roses of all colors, wouldn't they! Memory itself tucks beauty into the pockets of our days. How about that last sentence? It came out somewhat lyrical, all by itself. Let me see, if I can continue with that lyrical idea. So, this quote reminds me that beauty doesn’t disappear; it transforms. It becomes something I can return to, something to keep me alive in my quieter days. When the world becomes bare, memory lights its small candles to give me moments of warmth, laughter, and tenderness. Those moments bloom in spite of the harshness, sadness, or grief. Like roses. Roses in December are not the flowers I hold in my hands, but blossoms I carry in my heart. They are the echoes of my loved ones' voices, the warmth of long-ago evenings with my whole family together, the sweetness of our successes, wins, or victories. Above all, memories touch me with their kindness, leaving their soft petals about me. So, I gather these petals from my past and cradle and cherish them. After all, memory is God's way of reminding me of Joy-the person and the real joy that never left me. For it waits, like a rose beneath winter snow, ready to open when I need it the most. |
| Prompt: In literature it is only the wild that attracts us. Dullness is but another name for tameness. Henry David Thoreau, Walking What are your thoughts on "the wild" and "Dullness" as Thoreau put it? ------------ My first thoughts were that this quote was about seeking the soul, about vitality, and writing with genuine feelings. The best works in literature do not only let us sit at the edge of our seats with excitement or fright, but also, they stir the soul, challenge the mind, and make us think about our human experience. The "wild," in this sense, is not a flaw. It is our power to understand, feel, move on, and endure. What truly captivates me and resonates on a deeper level, usually, is not what I can predict or what is mundane. Granted, capable pens can make even the mundane exciting. This is because such works (Dostoyevsky comes to mind) can explore our complex experiences and our ability to deal with the unknown. I think, here, the quote refers to this unknown by the word "wild". Then, "dullness is but another name for tameness" tells me what I find boring or uninspired is the result of the lack of this wildness. To tell the truth, I like all literature, if deftly handled, be it tame or wild. What I don't care much about is what is written as if from a formula while lacking emotional depth, even if such works can be technically correct. The "wild" to me means a work that makes me curious and uses the senses and the mind in a meaningful way. It means the writing has taken me away from my comfort zone, and has brought up the parts of me that I might have suppressed. To me, this is always the real artistry in writing. |
| Prompt: “You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.:― Josie Silver Your thoughts? ----------- My first thought: Where is that person, especially in public life? I don't want to bring politics into my blog, but that was the first thought that popped up in my mind. On the other hand, such persons do exist around us. Most of them we don't notice, though. This may be because those kinds of people do not care whether they are noticed or not, and even, they do not want being noticed in the first place. Furthermore, their stepping back is in itself a quiet kind of power. It is the influence of a person who is gentle, modest and humble, as in the quote, to “tread lightly” suggests kindness, empathy, and an awareness of the feelings and needs of others. Yet, such people also leave "deep footprints," and their influence endures. They offer wisdom so gently that we don’t realize its weight until later. I know this well because I had an uncle like that. His show of love, in much quiet gestures, are echoing long after he's gone, as one of my cousins and I were discussing, a while ago, this afternoon. My uncle's integrity, steadiness, and his capacity to care became a model for all of us in my generation in the family. Then, the bittersweet truth is, when such people move on and are no longer present, they leave a space behind them that is not easily filled. Not because they were perfect, but because the depth of their goodness, their authenticity, and their presence were uniquely theirs. May all of us be able to earn that kind of soft strength, subtle impact, and capacity to care. Such greatness, I believe, doesn't always announce itself, but maybe or rarely, it whispers, still changing lives and many other important things. |
| Prompt: Can you give human qualities to the night. Have fun! --------- Night always accepted and loved herself. No joke! I believe this has to do with her understanding herself well. Night is honest, too, and if you ever meet her and ask her about your troubles and worries, she'll tell you the truth in her gentle voice, but she is never like those who tell harsh truths in the name of being honest, since Night is compassionate and supportive. I know this because I've been observing her for years, and with me, years abound. Yesterday, again, I didn't turn on the lights. I wanted to see Night slip into my world like a quiet guest, brushing past the curtains. She gave me a hug, and then, she stepped out, humming lullabies to our restless street. And, eventually, the lights of my neighbors dimmed one by one, I suppose, together with their worries. Kind hearted that she is, I heard Night come near my window, again. I stayed put as she leaned in gently to whisper to me, "Rest now, I'll keep watch." I nodded, but still kept on looking at her as she gathered the stars around her shoulders, even if she knew Dawn would chase her away. But Night didn't mind, ever. She carried her peace with her as she walked on, taking care of the world with her calm, steady heart. |
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I completely agree that Joy can be found in resting. I never could understand the people who, every single holiday, sprint off on one vacaction or other. Those who talk about their experiences, share how Exhausted they are and how they feel like they have not even had a day to rest before returning to work.
